Links a review from the Associated Press and to THREE reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-8-26, and up or down for WEST BANK, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 8  Bad Bunny brought Puerto Rico’s history and culture to a revolutionary Super Bowl show, by Maria Sherman | AP  From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 8  What you should know about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. Reported by Anamaria Artemisa Sayre | NPR  One week after winning the Grammy for album of the year, Bad Bunny is about to put on the performance of his already astonishing career. If you’re aiming for world domination, there’s just one musician to call. Here are the answers to some questions. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Days after mass layoffs, Washington Post CEO steps down. Reported by Leila Fadel | NPR  Washington Post publisher and CEO Will Lewis stepped down late Saturday, days after the newspaper cut a third of the staff. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  A Hong Kong court sentenced 78-year-old activist and publisher Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty under China’s national security law. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A link to the first report — a news release — from Exposing 9/11; in the future others will be accessible by clicking on its address: exposing911.substack.com. (Scroll down for 9/11 TRUTH 2-1-26.  Scroll up for WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 7  There’s a new player on the field: Exposing 9/11, by Craig McKee | Exposing 9/11  It has become increasingly clear in recent years that a new voice is badly needed in the fight to expose the 9/11 false flag. That voice is Exposing 9/11. We are an independent research, education, and advocacy group dedicated to exposing the truth about the crimes of Sept. 11, 2001. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FIVE reports: from Anadolu Ajansi, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and the Associated Press; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-7-26 and LEBANON,  GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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NEWER  Iranian FM says uranium enrichment to continue ‘even at cost of war.’ From the Cradle. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today that the Islamic Republic will not give up uranium enrichment, as Israel and the U.S. are demanding – stressing that Tehran will continue to pursue a peaceful nuclear program even at the cost of war. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian president says talks with U.S, ‘a step forward,’ dialogue key to ‘peaceful solution,’ by Rania Abushamala | Anadolu  ISTANBUL —“Dialogue has always been our strategy for achieving peaceful solutions,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said today, stressing that Iran’s approach to the nuclear issue is based on “the rights guaranteed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others.

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Iran doubts whether U.S. taking negotiations seriously: foreign minister. From AFP.  TEHRAN — Iran has reason to doubt the United States is serious about resolving the current crisis in relations through negotiations, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today. READ MORE . . .

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Iran insists on right to enrichment, ready for confidence. From Reuters. DUBAI — Recognition of Iran’s right to enrich uranium is key for nuclear talks with the U.S. to succeed, Foreign Minister Abbas ​Araqchi said today. READ MORE . . .

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Iran’s top diplomat strikes a hard line on U.S. talks, saying Tehran’s power comes from . . .  by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — Iran’s top diplomat insisted today that Tehran’s strength came from its ability to “say no to the great powers,” striking a maximalist position just after . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. [ NOTE: For this update AP has done a new headline and relegated most of the diplomacy element to the second half of its report in favor of the news that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to an additional 7 years or so in prison. ]

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Links to one report, two articles of commentary, and a video commentary, all from Middle East Eye; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for LEBANON 2-3-26, and up or down for IRAN, GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 5  Lebanon says ‘toxic’ chemical spray by Israel constitutes environmental crime. From Middle East Eye. “This is an environmental and health crime against Lebanese citizens and their land,” Lebanon‘s President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday, calling the spraying over southern towns a “blatant violation” of Lebanon’s sovereignty. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 7  U.S. pressure to disarm Hezbollah is pushing Lebanon to the brink, by Paul Khalifeh | Middle East Eye  Israel has never fully respected the November 2024 ceasefire deal that ended the 66-day war with Hezbollah. Since then . . . Click HERE to read and for video commentary by Maya Saad of Middle East Eye.

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FROM DEC. 11  Why Lebanon’s army cannot defend the nation after a year of ‘ceasefire,‘ by Hala Jaber | Middle East Eye  The bombing of residential buildings in Mahrouna, Jbaa, al-Majadel and Baraachit in early December — flattening them into ash, families fleeing with seconds to spare from homes that had stood for generations — was a reminder that Israel’s definition of ceasefire is unilateral. READ MORE . . .

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Links to TWO reports: from Middle East Eye and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-7-26.  Scroll up for IRAN, LEBANON and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal rejects foreign rule in Gaza. From Middle East Eye.  “We adhere to our national principles and reject the logic of guardianship, any foreign intervention, or the return of a mandate in any form,” Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said at a conference in Qatar’s capital, Doha. READ MORE. . .

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Rafah crossing reopens, allowing limited travel as Palestinians claim delays and mistreatment, by Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman | AP  CAIRO — A limited number of Palestinians were able to travel between Gaza and Egypt today, after Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopened after a two-day closure, Egyptian state media reported. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Links to FOUR reports: from the Guardian, Newsweek, the Independent, and le Journal de Montreal; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (MEDIA 2-7-26 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 8  Bad Bunny to meet political moment as Maga fumes over Super Bowl show, by Lauren Gambino | The Guardian  LOS ANGELES  — At a moment when masked federal agents are sweeping through American cities, rounding up long-settled immigrants, legal residents and even U.S. citizens, Bad Bunny’s presence on the grandest stage in U.S. sports offers a striking contrast – a joyful celebration of pride and solidarity for millions of Latinos. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 7  Why Donald Trump isn’t attending Super Bowl LX, by Kate Nalepinski | Newsweek  President Donald Trump’s move to skip the Super Bowl intersects with a cultural and political clash over the NFL’s halftime show headliner, Bad Bunny. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 4  Trump was told to skip the Super Bowl so he wasn’t booed mercilessly: report, by Rhian Lubin | The Independent  NEW YORK — President Donald Trump was advised against attending the Super Bowl because aides were concerned the crowd would “likely aggressively boo him,” according to a report. READ MORE . . .

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Super Bowl: Donald Trump boude la grand-messe du football à cause des artistes de la mi-temps. De l’Agence QMI | Le Journal de Montreal. Le président américain a confirmé dans un entretien accordé au New York Post qu’il ne ferait pas le déplacement pour assister à la grande finale de la NFL. READ MORE . . .

Links to THREE reports and ONE article of commentary: from the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-6-26 and IRAN and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Trump plans first ‘Board of Peace’ meeting despite nonstop Israeli violations of Gaza truce. From the Cradle. The U.S. government plans to convene the first meeting of the so-called Board of Peace on Feb 19, Axios reported on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli settlers storm Gaza to ‘plant trees’ in bid to establish Jewish settlement. From the Cradle. Hundreds of Israeli settlers held a protest and briefly entered Gaza today as part of a broader effort to establish Jewish settlements on the ruins of Palestinian cities in the devastated enclave. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 5  Israel bulldozed Gaza war cemetery containing graves of British, Australian and allied soldiers. From Middle East Monitor. The graves of British, Australian and other allied soldiers killed during the First and Second World Wars have been destroyed by Israel in Gaza, satellite images and local testimony confirm. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 6  Epstein was not a conspiracy, it’s just western empire doing what it has always done, by Raja Abdulhaq | Middle East Eye  From its inception in 1492, American empire has been defined by the systematic displacement, enslavement and extermination of indigenous populations in favour of the expansion of European capital. The genocide in Gaza is the contemporary expression of this. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FIVE reports: from Reuters, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-6-26, and up or down for GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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If U.S. attacks, Iran says it will strike U.S. bases in the region, by Jaidaa ‌Taha and Enas Alashry | Reuters  CAIRO — Iran will strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by American forces that have massed in the region, its foreign minister said today, insisting that this should not be seen as an attack on the countries hosting them. READ MORE . . .

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Iran says missile programme ‘never negotiable’ in talks with U.S. From Middle East Eye. Iran‘s missile programme was “never negotiable” in talks, the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said today to Al Jazeera as talks continued between the Islamic Republic and the U.S. in Oman. READ MORE . . .

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Thousands of Iraqis volunteer to defend Iran against U.S. attack, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  Almost 5,000 Iraqis have signed a pledge to help defend, Iraq’s neighbor Iran “without any compensation” in the event of a U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic, according to a statement. READ MORE . . .

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What’s next for the U.S. and Iran following preliminary talks? Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Simon | NPR  U.S. and Iranian envoys have held talks aimed at averting possible U.S. strikes on Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 6  Iran–U.S. talks end with no deal, new sanctions against Tehran. From the Cradle. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Omani-mediated negotiations between Tehran and Washington were held in a “good atmosphere,” despite no agreement being reached and the imposition of new sanctions on Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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Links to THREE reports: from National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-5-26.  Scroll up for GAZA and IRAN.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 6  ‘A party and a protest’: What to expect from Bad Bunny on Super Bowl Sunday. Reported by Adriana Gallardo, A Martínez and Lilly Quiroz | NPR  Puerto Rican superstar, Bad Bunny, made history at the 2026 Grammy Awards when he became the first artist to win album of the year for a Spanish-language project. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 6  Trump posts racist meme of the Obamas — then deletes it. Reported by Deepa Shivaram | NPR  In the first week of Black History Month, President Trump posted a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on social media — a video clip showing the Obamas’ faces on apes. The post was later deleted. Click HERE to listen and read. Click HERE and HERE for Feb. 6 report from AP / AP in English and Spanish.

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Links to two reports: from the Cradle and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-5-26 and IRAN and WEST BANK so far.) — MCM

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Washington imposes ‘terrorist-grade sanctions’ on Francesca Albanese, ICC judges: report. From the Cradle. White House officials have used “terrorist-grade sanctions” to target officials from the International Criminal Court and UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, freezing assets and disrupting war crimes investigations, Reuters reported today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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